Michael Ojo

Last week, I had the opportunity to participate as a panellist at the @nsnconnect (NSN) during a session themed “Delivering Better Nutrition for All: Connecting the Dots Across Life Cycle, Systems and Sectors.” The discussion focused on the sub-theme “Transforming Local Food Systems for Improved Food Security and Nutrition,” with our session exploring “Integrating Climate and Food Systems: Building Climate Shock Responses into Local Food Systems Interventions for Sustained Food and Nutrition Security.” It was a valuable opportunity to contribute perspectives from my experience in climate advocacy, community engagement, youth mobilisation and resilience building. One of the key questions I addressed was how we can move from having advance information about climate-related hazards to taking timely action that protects food systems. I emphasised the importance of strengthening local early-warning systems, community-level climate information, anticipatory action plans and stronger coordination between government agencies, farmers, community leaders and local institutions. My recommendation was that early-warning information must be presented in simple, accessible formats and linked to clear actions—such as adjusting planting periods, protecting livestock and food storage, preparing for flooding or drought, and providing timely support to vulnerable farming communities. I also shared my views on what communities themselves can do beyond government and institutional responses. Communities can strengthen local preparedness through community-based monitoring, climate-smart farming practices, improved water management, seed preservation, food storage, livelihood diversification and local emergency response mechanisms. I particularly stressed the importance of engaging women and young people as active partners in building resilient food systems, while also investing in environmental and climate education so that communities are better equipped to understand risks, make informed decisions and protect their livelihoods before climate shocks occur. I sincerely appreciate the @GAINalliance_Ng for creating this important platform and for bringing together experts and stakeholders to discuss the critical connection between climate change, food systems, nutrition and community resilience. Conversations like this are essential because achieving better nutrition requires us to address the environmental and socioeconomic factors that influence how food is produced, accessed and consumed, while ensuring that local communities are at the centre of the solutions. #ClimateResilience #FoodSystems #NutritionSecurity